Gustav nithack



UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

GUSTAV NITHACK, OF OBERNIGK, GERMANY.

TONGUE-DEPRESSOR AND TH ROAT-ILLUMINATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,516, dated December 12, 1893. Application filed Pebruary,15,1893. serial No.l62,473. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GUSTAV NITHAOK, a subject of the King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Obernigk, Germany, have invented a new and useful Instrument for Pressing Down the Tongue and for Illuminating the Throat, of which the following is a specification.

ence to readily concentrating the light-rays in different directions as required.

In order that myinvention may be the better understood, I now proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my instrument. Fig. 1 is a developed View of the mirror. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the instrument; and Fig. 3 is a perspective elevation thereof.

A fiat bar H, of suitable metal, horn, ivory or similar material, is of a spoon-handle shape or of a similar shape at the end, hereinafter termed the mouth-end, which' is introduced into the mouth of the patient for holding down the tongue. Said mouth-end of the tonguedepressorH is preferably provided with a longitudinal hollow rib s, which serves not only to stiffen it, but also to keep the bar from slipping laterally on the tongue. Near the outer end of the tongue-depressor H, a vertical open-ended tube m is provided for the re ception of any suitable light. Projecting rigidly downward, said tube m serves also as the handle of the instrument, being obviously adapted to be conveniently grasped by the hand of the operator. The bar 11 has also a trigger-shaped finger-rest or holder h opposed to said handle to facilitate manipulating the instrument.

A concave mirror R is pivotally attached to the outer end of the tongue-depressor H to serve as a reflector. The specific mirror shown in the drawings is made in the following manner: A circular piece of sheet-metal, Fig. 1, having at a part of its periphery two lugs cl d, has a recess between these lugs which reaches to the center. The parts bordering on the recess are placed over each other until the two lugs are overlapped. The piece of sheetmetal thus forms a concave mirror in the form of a cone, which is riveted to the end of the tongue-depressor H by means of a pivotal rivet e passing through the lugs. Owing to the pivotal attachment of the mirror to the tongue-depressor, the mirror can be readily turned so as to throw the light-rays to any part of the mouth or throat.

Instead of the light being at the tube m it may be located at one side of the patient. In thiscase the pivotal attachment of the mirror to the instrument is especially advantageous, adaptingit to receive the light-rays from such points and to send them into the cavity of the month.

The concave mirror B as well as the ton guedepressor H being adapted to be made of thin sheet-metal as above, it will be apparent that the instrument may be readily made wholly of metal so as to be easily sterilized as above, and at the same time may be of so little weight as to be easily held and manipulated.

Having now fully described my invent-ion,

'what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an instrument for pressing down the tongue, a flat tongue-depressor having a longitudinal hollow rib, and provided with a down wardly projecting tube serving as a handie, and with a trigger-shaped finger-rest or holder in front of said handle, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

2. In combination, in a throat-illuminator, a flat tongue-depressor having a longitudinal hollow rib over the tongue, a trigger-shaped finger-rest or holder attached thereto outside the mouth, a cylindrical tube attached to said tongue-depressor at a farther distance outside I pressor by two bent lugs thereof superposed the mouth to contain any suitable light, and and secured by a single rivet, substantially a reflector pivotally attached to the outer end as described.

of said tongue-depressor, substantially as de- In testimony whereof I have signed my 15 5 Scribedname to this specification in the presence of fi 3. In combination, inathroat-illuminator, a tWo subscribing witnesses.

at tongue-depressor, atrigger-shaped finger- T o 1 rest or holder and alight receptacle attached GUSTAV LITHAOIX' thereto outside the mouth, and a conical re- \Vitnesses: 1o fiector, formed out of a flat sheet, pivotally RICHARD SPAUOKE,

attached to the rear end of said tongue-de- CARL HIRSCHBERG. 

